I was praying for a woman who had been through a very traumatic experience. I struggled with finding the words to pray for her. As I tried to imagine myself in her situation, with the deep pain and sense of loss that she has experienced, I could think of nothing that would bring relief. Then, from deep within me came these words “I know it may be a long time before she experiences JOY again, but Lord, let her experience PEACE at this moment in time.” That’s when I got a tidbit of “revelation” about a word that I’ve often used but haven’t fully understood… PEACE.
PEACE carries us through situations where JOY cannot be found. JOY is the pinnacle of Life’s Fulness…everyone wants it, pursues it and wants to maintain it. But, when tragedy strikes JOY and Happiness are elusive… the mountain-top is distant. That’s when God’s PEACE does something that JOY cannot do… it sustains us when we can’t find a reason to go on. A calm assurance comes from God that tells us everything will be alright, even though everything seems to be in chaos at the moment. PEACE fills the empty place that JOY once occupied.
When JOY is nowhere to be found pray for PEACE.
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE….
